Electrical connection



Nov; 6, 1951 T. D. MONROE 2,574,277

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION Filed May 5, 1948 F/GUAE 3 HGZ/RE 5 HGURZ' 4 INVENTOR. V TH 0/7/15 0. Mo/w? 0;

BY I i? 517 Patented Nov. 6, i951 UNITED STATES QF FICE' 2,574,277 v V ELEGTBIOAL connection. Thomas 1): Monroe, Owossb; Mi cli assignor'to" Redmond- Company, Inc.,, ()wosso, Micln, a corporation of Michigan I Application May 5, 1948 sesame. 25;;185'

This; invention relates to; connections; andqparticularly to the connection of a conduit to a receptacle, such as a machine housing, or a terminal current supply panel.

It is common to have machine housings, or supply panels, so constructed or disposed as to render it difiicult to connect a circuit lead, or other conduit, to a terminal post or socket within such housing or panel. Frequently there is only a hole in the housing or panel through which the lead or conduit is to pass in order to complete a circuit path to a fitting on the interior,

with no readily accessible approach to the inner side of the housing or panel, adjacent to such hole. In such situations it is desirable to have a method of effecting an anchorage and grounding of the lead or conduit to such housing or panel, which method will not require manipulation of any element on the inner side of the structure. An object of the present invention is to provide such a method of anchoring and grounding a lead upon such a structure.

A second object of the invention is to provide novel means for coupling an electrical conduit to a structure containing an element with which such conduit is to cooperate.

A third object is to provide a novel Coupling of the character described, a feature of the coupling being its division into complementary sections, each of which sections is separately attachable to the supporting receptacle by insertion through an aperture in the wall thereof; this novel method of attachment permitting use of self-retaining rims on the complementary sections, as the rims, when subsequently turned into proper angular interrelationship, prevent withdrawal of the coupling from the receptacle.

A further object is to provide, in a couplin of the character described, novel means for securing the complementary coupling sections, one to the other, and to the electrical conduit received therein.

Other objects and features of the invention will suggest themselves as the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view of a connector embodying the invention, as it appears when anchored to a wall, through an aperture therein, and with a conduit received within the connector;

Fig. 2 is an elevation view of one of the complementary sections of the connector;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along line 33 of Fi 2;

Fig. 4 is a View at a right angle to the viewpoint of Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 is an end view of the structure of Fig. 2.

It Will be seen that each complementary section of the connector includes a semi-cylindrical central portion II of a certain radius, a semi- 2 Claims. (01.1 285-65)? cylindrical? end portion I2 of the same radius, with'flatextensionsor lugs I3, I4" on'oppo site sides thereof, a neck portion I5 of reduced radius, and an outwardly flaring portion I6 forming a rim at the end of the neck portion I5. Two fingers I'!, I8 extend from one side of central portion II, and a single finger I9 extends from the opposite side of central portion II, in the region thereof that lies between the fingers I'I, I8 of the mating half (see Fig. 1). The surface of portion II is pressed outwardly along the line of each tooth, so that the teeth are at slightly greater radial distances from the central axis, as compared with the radius of the main surface of portion II.

Each extension I3, I4 is apertured to receive screws 2|, 22, respectively, which screws pass through both halves of the connector and receive clamping nuts 23, 24, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The connector is installed in an opening in a Wall, such as the wall 26 of Fig. l, by tilting each complementary half, individually, through a sufficient angle to allow its rim I6 to enter the wall opening; it being noted that the radius of the wall opening is not much greater than the outer radius of the neck I5, and is considerably less than the radius of rim I6, although each rim in itself is fore-shortened, arcuately, so that its arcuate extent is sufficiently curtailed to permit its passage through the wall opening at any one of a wide range of tilting angles, when each connector section, in sequence, is tilted out of its normal relationship to the other.

After both halves of the connector have thus been maneuvered so that their two rims I6 are within the wall opening, they are then worked around into parallelism, with their complementary edges in registry, and with tooth I9 of each half passing between teeth I7 and I8 of the opposite half. Screws 2!, 22, and nuts 23, 24 are then applied, so that nuts 23, 24 engage turned edges 3i, 32 of the ears I3, I4 respectively, by which edges they are held against loosening movement. The conduit 34 is then inserted, until it reaches the neck portion I5, and screws 2 l, 22

being arcuately preshortened to substantially less than to allow insertion of each of said end portions from any one of a wide range of oblique angles, said end portions also being of such extent, in a transverse direction with respect to the axis of said opening, as to prevent their withdrawal through said opening when said sections are positioned in parallelism and including intercalated peripherally clasping fingers on said sections and constituting integral extensions thereof, said peripherally clasping fingers bein formed on arcs whose radii slightly exceed that of said sections.

2. A conduit connector comprising two complementary sections, each having an end portion insertable in a wall opening, said end portions being arcuately preshortened to substantially less than 180, to allow insertion of each of said end portions from any one of a wide range of oblique angles, said end portions also being of such extent, in a transverse direction with respect to the axis of said opening, as to prevent their withdrawal through said opening when said sections are positioned in parallelism and includin intercalated peripherally clasping fingers on said sections, as integral extensions thereof, to facilitate locking of one section to the other.

THOMAS D. MONROE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

